EP2674534B1 - Fitting with a guided extensible handshower - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mixer with retractable shower connected to a shower hose, the valve further comprising a housing having an end portion for receiving the shower and a passage for passing the shower hose through the housing. Such fittings are used in the field of sanitary installation. In particular, such fittings are used on sinks or sinks.

For example, a faucet with extendable spout from the DE 10 2007 009 408 B4 known. The known fitting makes it possible to remove a shower when needed from the fitting and pull out together with the hose from the fitting. Here, a guide tube is provided with a guide element in the lower part of the fitting, which serves to keep the hose at a predetermined distance from the converging in the lower part of the valve lines.

Furthermore, from the DE 20 2007 001 313 U1 a sanitary water valve with retractable shower known which has a projecting into the interior of a curved spout and with bias on the inside of the inner surface of the pipe bend of an outlet fitting lying.

In known fittings, however, it is observed that a complete return of the hose and the shower is not always up to a desired end position.

Object of the present invention is therefore to solve the problems arising from the prior problems and in particular to provide a fitting that is improved to the effect that the hose together with shower after being pulled back again reliably returned to its final position. The fitting should also be inexpensive to manufacture and reliable.

These objects are achieved with a fitting according to the features of patent claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent formulated claims. It should be noted that the features listed individually in the dependent claims form in any technologically meaningful way can be combined with each other and define further embodiments of the invention. In addition, the features specified in the claims are specified and explained in more detail in the description, wherein further preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. In the present case, the above-mentioned objects are achieved by a fitting according to the features of patent claim 1. The fitting according to the invention prevents by the use of the first guide means a large contact area between the shower hose and the inner wall surface of the implementation, whereby the frictional forces, which must be overcome for returning the hose to an end position, can be significantly reduced. Under the end position is to understand the position of the shower, which reaches this fully retracted into the housing shower hose. The contact area can be formed both linearly and flat.

In this context, the radial spacing means that the first guide means keeps the shower hose guided along it along a defined distance from the inner wall surface of the passage. In general, the cross-sectional shapes of the bushings are circular, oval or elliptical, which in these cases is a spacing in the radial direction in addition to the center of the respective radii of these cross sections. The spacing is, of course, also applicable in connection with other arbitrary cross-sections. The decisive factor is only a spacing of the shower hose from the inner wall surface of the implementation. In addition to reducing the frictional forces required to return the shower to the end position, which are usually applied by springs, the present invention can simultaneously overcome another problem, which is the reliable return of the shower prevented in the end position. With increasing dead weight of the shower occurs the effect that the hose slides over an edge in the end of the fitting. If, when drawing in, a point of the shower now reaches the edge with a projection, this projection will engage the edge and prevent it from completely retracting.
The spacing of the shower hose from the inner wall surface of the passage according to the present invention thus prevents, in addition to reducing the frictional forces, the engagement of the projection with the edge of the end portion. Due to the two advantages mentioned, which achieves the fitting according to the invention, now in comparison to the known prior art improved reliability in the return of the shower can be achieved in its final position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention is further provided that the first guide means is arranged at least on the housing side or hose side. While already a housing-side sliding surface is suitable as a guide means to achieve the described advantage, alternatively or in combination also hose side guide means may be provided which guide the shower hose at a defined distance to the inner wall surface of the implementation. This can be achieved for example by a variety of distributed over the hose lengths spacer arms.

In another most preferred embodiment of the invention, the first guide means has at least one sliding surface which guides the shower hose spaced from the inner wall surfaces. For this example, plastic components can be used, which form a particularly favorable sliding coefficient pairing in combination with the material of the shower hose. The aim here is to minimize the withdrawal forces required to return the shower to the final position. Suitable materials include, for example, plastics, metals and ceramics.

It is particularly advantageous if the sliding surface is preferably arranged so that it interacts with an underside of the hose. Since the weight of the shower head pulls the shower hose down in the direction of the weight, the shower hose is usually located with its underside on the inner wall surface of the implementation. Therefore, it is in particularly simple embodiments already provide sufficient sliding surfaces, which cooperate only with the bottom of the shower hose and thus space it from the Innwandfläche. According to the invention, the sliding surface of the first guide means is designed in the form of a tab. Such a tab can on the one hand perform resilient movements and thus make a compensation for movement during insertion and removal of the shower hose. Furthermore, a tab may be arcuate, so that the bearing surface between the shower hose and the first guide means and thus also the required frictional force is minimized. Finally, the tab shape has yet another advantage, which is that the tab on the one hand rests on the shower hose, but on the other hand, at least one, preferably at least two locations can experience a support on the inner wall surface of the implementation.

In this connection, it is particularly preferred if the first guide means is designed to be annular with at least one tab arranged thereon. The annular design makes it easy to attach the first guide means in the end of the valve. The annular guide means can optionally be inserted, plugged, clipped, screwed, locked or fastened in any other known manner.

Moreover, it is also advantageous if in addition a second guide means is provided, which aligns the shower hose in its end position in the circumferential direction relative to the end region of the valve. The movement in the circumferential direction corresponds to a rotational movement of the tube about its longitudinal axis, wherein the second guide means ensures that the shower always in a defined Position is held in its final position. An inadvertent rotation of the shower is thus reliably prevented.

For this purpose, it is advantageous if the second guide means is formed annularly with at least one chamfered first guide surface arranged thereon. The second guide means may for example be formed on the same ring as the first guide means and has at least one first guide surface. The first guide surface acts as a centering surface and is beveled so that the shower just before reaching the end position comes to rest and when continuing the Einziehvorganges is performed in the desired defined end position.

In a preferred refinement, the second guide means has at least one first guide surface and a complementary second guide surface, which cooperate in the end region of the valve. As a result, a first guide surface can be arranged on the housing side and a second guide surface on the hose or shower side.

The invention and the technical environment will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the figures show, but are not limited to, particularly preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figur 1

eine Schrägansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Armatur mit Brause;

Figur 2

eine Schnittdarstellung durch den Endbereich einer erfindungsgemäßen Armatur mit einer Brause in Endlage;

Figur 3

eine Klemmhülse mit Lasche in einer ersten Ansicht;

Figur 4

eine Klemmhülse mit Lasche in einer zweiten Ansicht;

Figur 5

einen Ausrichtring in einer Schrägansicht.

In the drawing shows schematically:

FIG. 1

an oblique view of a fitting according to the invention with shower;

FIG. 2

a sectional view through the end portion of a valve according to the invention with a shower in the end position;

FIG. 3

a clamping sleeve with tab in a first view;

FIG. 4

a clamping sleeve with tab in a second view;

FIG. 5

an alignment ring in an oblique view.

In FIG. 1 an inventive valve 1 is shown with a shower 2 in an oblique view. The showerhead 2 is shown in an end position, in which it rests against an end region 3 of the fitting 1. With a dashed line arranged inside the valve 1 shower hose 4 is indicated, which extends from the showerhead 2 through the entire armature 1 and beyond. At the lower end of the shower hose 4 engages a retraction device 19, which exerts a retraction force 20 in the direction of the arrow on the shower hose 4.

In FIG. 2 is the end portion 3 of a fitting 1 according to the invention with the shower 2 again shown in a sectional view. Well visible in the shower hose 4, which is guided along a first guide means 5. The first guide means 5 is formed in the form of a tab 13 which is supported at a first location 6 and at a second location 7 against an inner wall surface 8 of a passage 9 through the fitting 1. It can be seen that the tab 13 of the first guide means 5 is formed only on an underside 10 of the shower hose 4. Furthermore, it can be seen that the first guide means 5 is annular in the end region 3. The attachment of the first guide means 5 in the end region 3 can be done by all known attachment methods, such as stuck, glue, weld, lock, screws, clamps, etc. In addition, alternatively or additionally, guide means 5 can also be provided on the shower hose 4 in order to keep the shower hose 4 at a distance from the inner wall surfaces 8 during removal and retraction. In FIG. 2 is also apparent that a projection 11 of the shower hose 4 without the guide means 5 of the present invention would hang when retracting the shower hose 4 in the end position shown at a lower edge 12 of the valve 1 and thus does not fully retracting or only with very high retraction forces 20 could be. The shower hose 4 is brought by the tab 13 in a colinear position to the trained in the end region 3 spout. This prevents that the shower hose 4 comes to rest on the inner wall surface 8 due to gravity and pushes the showerhead 2 from the position required for insertion.

In FIG. 3 is the first guide 5 again shown as a single part. Well recognizable here is again formed as a tab 13 sliding surface of the first guide means 5. About this tab 13 of the shower hose 4 slides when putting on and taking off. Furthermore, the tab 13 can be supported with the edge 14 in the inserted state at a first position 6 of the inner wall surface 8. In addition to the first guide means 5, a second guide means 15 is simultaneously formed on this component, which has approximately V-shaped first guide surfaces 16 on the inside of the annular structure. The first guide surfaces 16 designed as centering surfaces serve to align the showerhead 2 during its movement into the end position in the circumferential direction of the annular first guide means 5.

In FIG. 4 is the first guide 5 after FIG. 3 shown again in a different perspective. It can be seen that the first guide means 5 is configured as a clamping sleeve with the tab 13 arranged thereon. If necessary, the clamping sleeve can be mounted and dismounted as desired, whereby, for example, if wear occurs on the first or second guide means (5, 15), replacement is possible without difficulty.

In FIG. 5 Finally, a ring 17 is shown, which has centering means designed as second guide surfaces 18, which are intended to cooperate with the first guide surfaces 16 of the second guide means 15. The ring 17 is arranged on the showerhead 2, wherein the second guide surfaces 18 are formed as triangular tips and point in the direction of the first guide means 5. The arrangement of the centering means 18 on a circumference of the ring 17 is also designed so that the showerhead 2 can be moved in the circumferential direction only in a single position completely back to its final position. This is achieved, for example, in that the second guide surfaces 18 are arranged asymmetrically on the ring 17. The first guide surfaces 16 of the second guide means 15 are formed complementary to the second guide surfaces 18 for this purpose. Alternatively, the guide surfaces 18 may also be integrated into the molded body of the showerhead 2.

The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Rather, numerous modifications of the invention within the scope of the claims are possible. Thus, for example, instead of the described shaping all other suitable geometry can be used.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

fitting

2

shower

3

end

4

shower hose

5

first guide

6

first place

7

second place

8th

Inner wall surface

9

execution

10

bottom

11

head Start

12

lower edge

13

flap

14

edge

15

second guide means

16

first guide surface

17

ring

18

second guide surface

19

retraction device

20

retraction force

21

casing

Claims (10)

1. Tap (1) having a pull-out spray (2) which is connected to a spray hose (4), wherein the tap (1) also has a housing (21) having an end region (3) for receiving the spray (2) and a duct (9) for guiding the spray hose (4) through the housing (21), characterised in that, at least in the end region (3), at least one first guide means (5) is provided for spacing the spray hose (4) apart from an inner wall surface (8) of the duct (9), which first guide means, to minimise a support surface, is in the form of a curved tongue and is supported against the inner wall surface (8) at at least two locations.
2. Tap (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the first guide means (5) is arranged at least on the housing or on the hose.
3. Tap (1) according to either one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first guide means (5) has at least one sliding surface which guides the spray hose (4) spaced apart from the inner wall surface (8).
4. Tap (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the sliding surface is arranged so that it co-operates with an underside (10) of the spray hose (4).
5. Tap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first guide means (5) is in the form of a tongue (13).
6. Tap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first guide means (5) supports the sliding surface against the inner wall surface (8) at at least one location (6, 7).
7. Tap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first guide means (5) is ring-shaped with at least one tongue (13) arranged thereon.
8. Tap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that there is additionally provided a second guide means (15) which aligns the spray hose (4) in the fully retracted state in the circumferential direction thereof relative to the end region (3) of the tap (1).
9. Tap (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the second guide means (15) is ring-shaped with at least one sloping first guide surface (16) arranged thereon.
10. Tap (1) according to either one of claims 8 and 9, characterised in that the second guide means (15) has at least one first guide surface and a second guide surface (18) constructed so as to be complementary thereto, which guide surfaces co-operate in the end region (3) of the tap (1).

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